Tag: consuming alcohol

If you are dealing with sleep apnea, you are fully aware of how it can ruin your chances of getting a good night’s sleep while also making your health suffer. You must get enough sleep in order to function in your day-to-day life. Sleep apnea is treatable and you can find ways to ensure that you get the sleep that you need. Keep reading for information that will help you handle your sleep apnea.

Losing some harmful vices to fight off sleep apnea. The worst thing you can do to contribute to sleep apnea by drinking and smoking. Drinking causes respiratory depression, which makes it more difficult to breathe. Over time, your lungs will be damaged as the result of smoking. If you quit these habits you are likely to see an improvement in your sleeping difficulties.

Drop your bad habits to relieve your sleep apnea. The worst thing you can do to contribute to sleep apnea by drinking and smoking. Consuming alcohol can lead to trouble with your respiratory system. Smoking introduces known carcinogens into your lungs and damages them over time. Your sleep apnea symptoms will improve if you give up both of these unhealthy habits completely.

Extra weight is a primary cause of sleep apnea. If this is the case, a sleep apnea sufferer should try to lose weight. The simplest way to take off the weight is to eat fewer calories and engage in daily exercise. After a couple of weeks you should see a difference with how much sleep apnea effects you.

Are you a drinker or a smoker? Get rid of behaviors that are not good for you. Your airways are significantly affected by smoking and drinking. Alcohol can relax airways while smoking can cause them to swell, both of which can cause you to have sleep apnea. If you do not want to quit, just do not do it before laying down to sleep.

Taking up a wind instrument can help to alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms. There have been studies that show playing the didgeridoo, a wind instrument, helps relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea. These muscles are the key to dilation of the air passage and proper breathing as we sleep. Due to this, regular play can translate into good sleep at night.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is not to be taken lightly. If you think you may have it, it is important to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it. After diagnosis, you may be referred to a sleep specialist who may order a home study using a portable monitor. In this way, the specialist can assess your condition accurately.

Sleep apnea is a serious health condition. If you notice some of the warning signs, you need to talk to your doctor as soon as possible. A doctor can refer you to a sleep lab if the doctor believes you have sleep apnea, and you can then get on the road to recovery if you have it.

Attempt sleeping on the side. Sleeping on your back is attributed to a lot of people who suffer with sleep apnea. If you sleep on your back, your airway may become blocked when mouth tissues slide back. Making an effort to stay off your back will help to give you a better night of sleep. Support yourself with pillows so that you won’t end up on your back at night.

You may be able to address your sleep apnea by simply changing from back sleeping to side sleeping. Our airways can get obstructed if we sleep while on our backs. Try to fall asleep on one of your sides to see if your symptoms get better.

You need a regular sleep schedule if you suffer from sleep apnea. Your condition is already messing with your regular sleep cycle every night. A routine sleep pattern will discourage the condition from getting worse. The adjustment that is most important is your sleep schedule.

If you are having trouble getting to sleep, do not turn to sleeping pills for assistance when you have sleep apnea. Sleeping pills are similar to alcohol in that they cause the muscles in your throat to be less tense. They also can cause other harmful issues to make your sleep apnea worse. Ask your physician about sleep aids that won’t also affect your breathing.

If you’re admitted to the hospital, take your sleep apnea machine with you. Whether the stay is for a planned surgery or sudden emergency, make sure you have access to your CPAP for the duration of your stay. This is preset to your breathing pressure. In addition, you’ll be using the same mask you’ve been accustomed to using each night. This will facilitate your CPAP therapy during your hospital stay.

Your physician may want you to write in a log or journal about your sleep, in order to check to see if you have sleep apnea. You simply log the amount of hours you’re sleeping each night, and mentioning other symptoms too. Ask others in your home to let you know if you snored, woke up without realizing it due to your snoring or if you moved a lot in your sleep. This diary will help a medical professional see patterns in your sleep habits.

Sleep with just a single, average-sized pillow each night. When you use an over-sized pillow or multiple pillows, it can skew your position. These mean you sleep in positions where it is hard to breathe. With this in mind, use only a single pillow to minimize sleep apnea symptoms.

Sleep Apnea

Find ways to decrease the risk factors of our sleep apnea. Some factors are unable to be altered. Being overweight, drinking, smoking and weak throat muscles can all bring on sleep apnea.

Maintain a regular sleeping schedule if you suffer from sleep apnea. An irregular sleep pattern only aggravates the sleep apnea condition. So, anything that you can find that will help rebuild healthy sleep patterns is a must to help you live a healthier lifestyle. Go to sleep and wake up at set times each day, even the weekends, for the best results.

You need to have patience when you realize you have sleep apnea. Each patient is different and what works for one person may not work for another. For some, weight loss can help, but even slender people can suffer from sleep apnea. Millions of sleep apnea sufferers find relief from non-surgical options like CPAP machines. Others prefer surgery so that they can treat airway restrictions. However you go about it, get help and your quality of life will improve.

Make sure your CPAP comes with you when you need to go to the hospital. Be it an intended or emergency room stay, you must always have access to your CPAP and the mask when you suffer from sleep apnea. It already has your pressure settings dialed in, and your mask is something your used to wearing at night. This will make your stay a little more comfortable.

You can curtail the symptoms of this affliction by doing tongue exercises. One exercise you can try involves putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth, then keeping it there for at least 180 seconds. This strengthens the muscles throughout the airway passage and minimizes the likelihood of them interfering with breathing and sleep.

Shed pounds if you want to get rid of your sleep apnea. People usually find that sleep apnea can be remedied by shedding those extra pounds. The symptoms of sleep apnea can be greatly reduced by even a relatively minor amount of weight loss as the breathing passages and the throat open up.

Sleep apnea causes anxiety, so if you feel that way before bed, take a bath. A hot bath will reduce your tension and make you feel more relaxed. This will help you get to sleep and stay asleep rather than having constant sleep apnea interruptions.

Stop snoring devices are often helpful in treating sleep apnea. Snoring occurs if breathing passages become partially closed, and sleep apnea when they are closed entirely. A device that can eliminate snoring can also relieve sleep apnea. Using a device that reduces your snoring will help you sleep better.

Anyone afflicted with sleep apnea might need solutions to get good rest. Schedule yourself to sleep at the same time every night. Keep your bedroom comfortable and calm for the most satisfying sleep. If your room is not, insomnia might set in.

Sleep Apnea

Even though you may not be aware of your sleep apnea, anyone who sleeps with you probably is aware of it. If you feel exhausted or extremely sleepy during the day or find yourself falling asleep behind the wheel, talk to a doctor immediately. Your unexplained sleepiness may be due to sleep apnea.

Consulting your GP is a necessary step in getting a diagnosis of sleep apnea, but self-help options are available. It’s always a good idea to stop drinking and smoking and lose weight. It is doubly so if you have sleep apnea. It is also important to avoid consuming alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals at least two hours prior to going to sleep.

Be proactive in finding the right sleep apnea treatment. Putting off a doctor’s visit could lead to a worsening of conditions over a period of time. Do not allow snoring and restless sleep to negatively impact your life. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, seek a physician’s help immediately.

Tongue exercises are useful in reducing sleep apnea. For example, try this: press your tongue up against your upper palate, and hold it for about three minutes. This makes your tongue and throat muscles even stronger than before, so you minimize your odds of them blocking your air flow during sleep.

Throat exercises have been shown to help with the symptoms of sleep apnea. Exercising strengthens the throat muscles and lessens the likelihood of collapse. There are many exercises that are helpful, but one of them is to push your tongue very firmly up against the back of your front teeth. Then slide your tongue to the back of your mouth, and repeat this cycle for at least three minutes. Try this exercise daily.

There are a number of things you can do to address your sleep apnea. Incorporate the tips in the above article to help yourself finally get the sleep you deserve. When your quality of sleep changes from negative to positive, everything else in your life will follow suit.

Oral appliances designed to encourage proper jaw position can help treat many sleep apnea cases. This is due to the fact that the jaw on some people is configured in such a way that the air passages are narrowed. Your jaw can be aligned with a corrective device because air can flow more easily.

Living without proper sleep is debilitating for anyone, but when you have sleep apnea, it makes it almost impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Read the following article for some great tips on living with sleep apnea yet sleeping better and feeling better.

Try getting rid of bad habits to better your sleep apnea. Two of the most common offenders are drinking and smoking. Your respiratory system will not be happy with you if you drink all the time. Cigarettes inject carcinogens into your respiratory system. These are both habits which can make sleep apnea worse.

Lose Weight

Giving up smoking and drinking can help to improve your sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the back of the throat, which will cause an interference with breathing. If you avoid these things, it may help your sleep apnea.

Excessive weight can be a major contributor to sleep apnea. If this is a problem for a person, then weight loss is recommended. The best way to lose weight is to become physically active with exercise at least four times per week and eat less food calories than are burned off each day by activity. Some amount of carbohydrate restriction is beneficial for many who are trying to lose weight as well.

Try losing weight if you are obese. Although it might not be the main cause, being overweight makes sleep apnea worse. If you are obese, even shedding 25 pounds can provide a drastic improvement in your symptoms.

Do you smoke or drink alcoholic beverages? Get rid of behaviors that are not good for you. Using these vices can harm your airways. When you smoke it causes swelling in your airways, and when consuming alcohol, your airway muscles tend to relax. That causes the symptoms of sleep apnea to worsen. If you are unable to completely eliminate these habits, try to at least refrain from them in the hours directly before bed.

If you have sleep apnea, consider learning how to play a wind instrument. In Germany, research has been done that suggests playing the didgeridoo will train the muscles of the upper airway. Upper airway muscles manage dilation and stiffening of airway walls. So, if you play this instrument on a daily basis, it will help to limit the sleep apnea symptoms which in turn will give you a good night’s sleep.

Giving up smoking and drinking can help to improve your sleep apnea. These habits can cause your throat muscles to relax or swell, increasing sleep apnea. Unlike those medical interventions or pricey surgeries, eliminating these habits can save you money.

Try getting fitted for a custom-made mouth guard. Sleep apnea patients can have mouth guards that are custom made specifically to treat their condition. While they won’t work for everyone, they do work for many people who find them to be easy to use and successful in treating their sleep apnea. It keeps your air passageways wide open and clear by stabilizing your throat and holding it in the proper position.

To keep your sleep apnea in check, eat a healthy diet to lose weight. Most people would find it surprising to know that your diet can be a factor in managing sleep apnea. Research has proven that those who consume low quality food demonstrate more severe sleep apnea than even overweight folks who eat healthy.

Limit your alcohol consumption. Your muscles get relaxed too much. If the throat muscles are too relaxed, they can collapse and block your airway. Your throat muscles may be affected, causing breathing difficulties. If you are a person who needs a drink sometimes, then aim to not drink it very frequently. Definitely do not drink any immediately before hitting the sheets at night.

Do not consume as much alcohol as you used to. Consuming alcohol causes your muscles to relax too much. Although some people do enjoy this, it can contribute to sleep apnea. Your throat muscles become relaxed and cause your airways to become blocked. If drinking is an important part of your life, restrict the amount of alcohol you consume and drink it earlier in the day.

Try something other than sleeping pills. Sleeping pills can make your throat muscles relax in an undesirable way. They may also cause complications for sleep apnea patients. Speak with your health professional about something that can help you sleep without harming your breathing patterns.

Sleep Apnea

You can wear a chin strap with your CPAP if you have problems with your mouth falling open as you sleep. This strap is a small strip of material that holds up your chin while you sleep, thus keeping your mouth closed. The CPAP only works if the mouth is closed, so try using the strap.

Many children suffer with sleep apnea. If you find your child is innatentive, always tired or uses their mouth to breath and not their nose, they may suffer from this condition. The symptoms can be confused with those of ADHD, so it is important to speak with your doctor to see if sleep apnea is a possibility.

If you are using a CPAP to treat sleep apnea, be sure to take it when you’re going to the hospital. Be it an intended or emergency room stay, you must always have access to your CPAP and the mask when you suffer from sleep apnea. Since the settings are already set to what you’re used to, and the mask that you use each night is there, it makes it much easier to use at the hospital. This will make your stay a little more comfortable.

Instead of sleeping on your back, sleep on your side, which can help to avoid the symptoms of sleep apnea getting in the way of a peaceful night’s sleep. When we sleep on our backs, the nasal and throat passages are more prone to obstructing the air-ways. See if sleeping on your side doesn’t help your sleep apnea condition.

Try using a nasal spray for an irritated nose. You will get relief from this for a little while. Nasal spray is not a permanent solution to nighttime breathing issues, though; prolonged use will cause irritation and possibly sinus damage. Take a trip to the drugstore and find a nasal cleaner that suits you.

If you aren’t sleeping with a partner each night who can let you know of any irregularities in your sleeping patterns, it can be hard to know if you have this condition. Or you can record yourself as you sleep to look at your sleeping patterns. Make sure you include the audio, so your doctor can hear what sounds you make.

Stop putting yourself at risk for sleep apnea. Be aware that certain risk factors, like gender and genes, cannot be changed. But, there are other things you can do to cut out risks such as not smoking or drinking heavily, and also managing your weight.

If you need to be hospitalized for some reason, be sure that you take your CPAP machine with you to the hospital. If you are scheduled for hospitalization or if you go to emergency, you should make available your CPAP machine and mask. You will your mask you’re used to, and the pressure will be set right. This will make continuing your CPAP therapy much more tolerable.

Your sleep apnea will not just go away by itself without treatment. A variety of underlying medical conditions can contribute to sleep apnea. Some sleep apnea sufferers can deal with their symptoms by getting rid of excess weight, but there are also people with the condition who aren’t overweight. There are many options available to help treat this condition, one of which is a CPAP machine. For others, surgical techniques to remove airway obstructions may provide the most effective relief. No matter what route you take, your treatment is definitely key to a happy life.

Just use one pillow when you sleep at night. The position of your body can become awkward and harmful to your breathing when you use too many pillows. You’ll be resting in such a way that makes breathing difficult. Because of this you should only use one pillow for easier sleeping.

Sleep apnea becomes an even bigger problem if you are chronically fatigued. Good sleep hygiene, like adhering to a routine bedtime schedule, can help. Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day and stick with it. This will stop sleep apnea from turning into something worse such as insomnia.

Do not drink too much alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat and causes your airway to become constricted. Limit drink consumption to no more than two or quit drinking completely prior to bed. You’ll be less likely to suffer from alcohol-related sleep disturbances this way.

Do throat and jaw exercises. Some cases of sleep apnea are just contingent upon weaker muscles, so exercising them can really help out your condition. You may see results after just a few days of doing exercises.

How you physically sleep each night can really affect your sleep apnea. Try sleeping on your side or your stomach to decrease the condition. Take a foam wedge to lift the top of your body up. If you have an adjustable bed, raise the head by several inches for the best position.

Avoid drinking alcohol, especially before bed. Alcohol only makes the problems of sleep apnea much worse. It slows down you central nervous system, making the conditions of sleep apnea worse and also could prevent you from waking up should you stop breathing. Therefore, combining sleep apnea and alcohol can be deadly.

Remember that you must bring your CPAP machine with you on long air flights, and the airline must know about this in advance. You’ll find that most airlines are quite accommodating to this kind of medical necessity; they’ll seat you in a place where you have all the room you need. Try to remember to bring the appropriate adapters for foreign flights.

You may need to have surgery to remove excess tissue from your throat if that is causing your sleep apnea symptoms. Through a procedure known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP, the excess tissue can be removed to make the airway bigger and eliminate sleep apnea. Often times they remove the tonsils when they perform this surgery.

Sleep deprivation can disrupt your life and damage your health. Get a handle on your sleep apnea so you can get better sleep. Don’t make life tougher than it needs to be. Work toward an effective treatment that will help you get a good night’s sleep.

When it comes to treatment, follow instructions to the letter. You might be tempted to entertain the thought that skipping a night or so is safe, but you are going to regret it in the morning and not be as functional the next day. Do the treatments recommended by your doctor so that you can sleep and therefore function in your daytime life.

There are a lot of people out there who aren’t getting the natural, restful sleep they need and have come to think of their chronic fatigue as an inevitability. This is a serious fallacy that leads people to accept major health issues that need to be addressed. Everyone should be educated about sleep apnea since it is such a serious and prevalent condition.

Aside from the obvious reasons that losing weight is important, if you have sleep apnea, it’s vital that you lose weight. Multiple research projects demonstrate the connection between sleep apnea and being overweight. It also stands to reason that losing just a little weight can dramatically improve your condition and your health.

Think about changing a few of your habits to help with your sleep apnea. Drinking and smoking are a couple of the biggest concerns. Alcohol depresses your nervous system and makes it harder to breathe, particularly when you are asleep. Smoking can cause swelling in the throat, which also restricts the airway during sleep. Drop as many bad habits as you can as early as possible.

Eating healthy foods consistently can reduce your weight and sleep apnea symptoms. Despite what you may think, diet plays a major part in the ability to sleep. Good nutrition can help many medical conditions, including sleep apnea.

Ask your doctor for advice about what CPAP machine you should get. You need to take into consideration both the machine size and audible volume. Don’t worry too much about the sound as there are many types of very quiet machines that will not disrupt sleep. Your doctor should be able to point you in the right direction of a capable machine.

Seek out something else rather than taking sleeping pills. Sleeping pills are similar to alcohol in that they cause the muscles in your throat to be less tense. There can also cause other problems if you are dealing with sleep apnea. Think about asking your physician about ways you can get to sleep that will not affect your apnea.

Sleep Apnea

You need to have a complete physical exam and give a thorough medical history in order to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study as well. When your doctor has this information, he passes it on to a specialist who can help you even more.

Taking up a musical instrument (especially a wind instrument) can have a positive effect on your sleep apnea. Research done by specialists in Germany indicates you can train your muscles in the upper airway by playing the didgeridoo. These muscles control the dilation of your airway and the stiffening of the airway walls. This means that if you practice regularly, you will notice a reduction in sleep apnea symptoms and snoring.

If you are lacking someone to sleep next to you it might be hard to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea. You might consider video recording yourself asleep. The video should also have audio to listen for any noises.

It’s necessary to use a CPAP machine for four hours each night if your doctor has prescribed one for your sleep apnea. Although it can be difficult to become accustomed to wearing a CPAP, it is an important tool in improving sleep apnea. Use your CPAP as often as prescribed by your doctor, and make sure it fits properly. Keep trying to use your machine, and work up to a full night slowly if you need to.

If you are using a CPAP and experience an issue with your mouth opening during sleep, a chin strap can help. A chin strap is a fabric strip that prevents your chin from falling during the night, which in turn keeps your mouth closed. Use this device to solve this annoying problem, as leaving it unfixed will make your CPAP therapy ineffective.

Avoid alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Consuming alcohol causes your muscles to relax too much. You might want this consequence of consuming alcohol, but it also instigates sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and can make it difficult to keep the air passage open. If you feel you must drink, try not to do it as often or before you go to sleep.

If nothing is working to better your sleep apnea, try talking to a doctor about more aggressive treatments. Some people have poor luck with typical sleep apnea treatments, and resort to a surgical treatment that entails the removal of the adenoids and tonsils, or the enlargement of the airway.

Sleeping Pills

Nasal sprays can help you sleep when your nose is being a nuisance to you. Nasal spray can help clear out your airways. Avoid using nasal sprays over a long period of time; your mucus membranes could become damaged and irritated. Head to your pharmacy to see what your options are to deal with your nose bothering you in your sleep.

Try something else besides sleeping pills. Just like alcohol, taking sleeping pills will make your throat muscles relax. There are a variety of other problems that they can cause as well, so be cautious of using them. Ask your doctor about sleeping aids that won’t have a negative impact on your breathing.

Weight loss can make a huge difference in sleep apnea symptoms. People who are overweight or have a larger than normal neck circumference may be prone to sleep apnea. Even a modest amount of weight loss can increase air flow and decrease airway pressure.

You need to have a complete physical exam and give a thorough medical history in order to get a sleep apnea diagnosis. Also, your doctor may want to try a sleep study on you. Depending on the results, you may be referred to a specialist.

Although you should visit your doctor to become diagnosed, you can still figure out if you have sleep apnea on your own. Giving up tobacco use and losing excess weight are good health choices in general, and they’re particularly effective in reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea. It is also important to avoid consuming alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals at least two hours prior to going to sleep.

If you suffer from sleep apnea and intend to travel at all, make sure you bring you CPAP in the luggage. Once you have your CPAP machine, do not skip using it at any time. This machine should have a travel bag with it. This will help ease transporting your CPAP machine if you must be away.

Left untreated, sleep apnea may get progressively worse. Different people find relief through different forms of treatment. If you lose weight you will help your sleep apnea, but this is not always the cause. A CPAP machine has provided relief for millions of people. Even the simplest surgery carries some risk, so it is best to consider surgery as a last option. It doesn’t matter which treatment you get, as long as it is effective for you and helps you find the quality of life you are missing.

If you suffer from sleep apnea and have issues with your sinuses or allergies, have them treated as soon as possible. It’s already hard for you to breathe when you sleep due to your condition. You don’t want to have anything else that hinders your breathing while you sleep. Maintaining free nasal passages will ensure greater odds of sleeping getting a great night’s sleep.

Stronger throat muscles may help reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea results from breathing obstruction due to your soft tissues in your throat collapsing. Stronger muscles are not as likely to collapse.

Don’t use more than one standard pillow. Having too many pillows, or one gigantic one, may interfere with good breathing posture. Sleeping in this way may prevent easy breathing. Because of this you should only use one pillow for easier sleeping.

It is fine to get a CPAP machine, it’s natural for sleep apnea sufferers. Make people aware that your life would be much worse with the machine. Also, don’t be afraid to use the machine in front of others, including friends and your spouse. Remember that your CPAP machine was prescribed by your doctor to help you. If those in your life are not supportive of this, perhaps you should seek more supportive friends and acquaintances.

Sleep Apnea

If you believe you’ve got sleep apnea, try seeing your doctor and getting a sleep test. This test can determine if you’ve got sleep apnea and how severe it is. Even if you’re experiencing relatively mild sleep apnea, having a firm diagnosis of the condition enables you to take steps towards treating it.

Stop putting yourself at risk for sleep apnea. Some of the risk factors associated with sleep apnea cannot be changed such as being born a male or having it run it the family. Be this as it may, smokers, drinkers and those who are overweight can reduce their risks.

Stay in touch with your doctor after you are diagnosed with sleep apnea. Your doctor should be able to provide you with helpful information and tips on your health condition. Evaluate the effectiveness of any new sleep apnea treatments before your next doctor’s appointment.

Stronger throat muscles may help reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a direct result of a collapse of tissue that occurs towards the far throat’s back. The stronger your muscles are the less chance they will block your airways.

Sleep apnea can be worsened if you are tired for long periods of time. To address this ensure that you are sleeping on a schedule. Have a specific time you go to bed and wake up, and always try to stick to them. This will also help make sure that your sleep apnea doesn’t snowball into insomnia as well.

Now that you know about sleep apnea and possible treatments for it, your nights should be easier to get through. Never allow someone to tell you that frequently feeling tired is a normal part of life. Instead, talk to your doctor if you believe you are suffering from this condition, and let him or her know of the advice you’ve just read.

Try to work your throat by playing wind instruments. You can help your apnea by learning something like the clarinet or flute. Learning a wind instrument works the muscles of your throat and airway, allowing them to better control your breathing. After playing for some time, you will start to get relief from sleep apnea because you have been training your muscles.

There are too many folks who do not get enough good sleep during the night, and yet very few of them know that sleep disorders might be the cause. Sleep apnea is a disorder that can be the culprit, because it obstructs your airways while you sleep. If you think you’re suffering from sleep apnea, continue reading this informative article.

Speak with your doctor about getting a mouth guard that will help alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. It may be that your airways are narrower than average, and this is fine. You will get better rest if you use specialty devices to position yourself and align your jaw properly while sleeping.

Drop some vices to combat sleep apnea. If you smoke and drink, you are almost sure to suffer from sleep disturbances. Consuming alcohol can lead to trouble with your respiratory system. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. Quit both these habits, and you’ll soon notice an improvement in your sleeping patterns.

It is important to use your CPAP machine if instructed to by your doctor. You should use it for the full night, but if you cannot, try to get at least 4 hours with the machine. Many folks have difficulty adjusting to the CPAP in the beginning. Use your CPAP as often as prescribed by your doctor, and make sure it fits properly. If you are having difficulty adjusting to it at first, try to make sure you at least use your CPAP four hours each time you sleep.

Do you occasionally drink or smoke? Eliminate bad habits. They may hurt your air passages. When you smoke it causes swelling in your airways, and when consuming alcohol, your airway muscles tend to relax. That causes the symptoms of sleep apnea to worsen. If you are unable to walk away from these habits forever, at least avoid them prior to sleeping.

Even children can suffer from sleep apnea. When you notice that your child wakes up tired each day, is hard to wake up in the morning, is angry or rude or their grades are suffering at school, poor sleep due to sleep apnea could be the culprit. Sometimes, sleep apnea is confused with ADHD, and you should consult your doctor for the proper diagnosis.

Sleep Apnea

Attempt sleeping on the side. Don’t sleep on your back. Your airways become blocked when you sleep on your back. It’s easier to breathe when looking to the side. Prop pillows on one side to prevent you from rolling on your back while sleeping.

Eating right can keep you healthy and well rested. A lot of sleep apnea sufferers are shocked by the role that a bad diet has in their affliction. There is scientific data that suggests that eating a poor diet can worsen sleep apnea, independent of a person’s weight.

A good physical exam, and a look at your family history, can quite often easily determine sleep apnea’s presence. There are hundreds of studies that show sleep apnea has effected many families together, and this might be something that you cannot escape.

Many doctors ask patients to keep sleep logs to help diagnose sleep apnea. Keep track of how many hours you’re sleeping the entire night and any symptoms you have. If you have a partner, they may be able to help document your snoring, jerky body movements and stoppage of breathing. That helps the physician determine whether your symptoms are, in fact, sleep apnea.

If you are not sleeping with a partner, then it’s almost impossible to determine if you’re suffering from sleep apnea on your own. Think about recording your sleep patterns. Make sure to record any sounds you make so the doctor can hear them.

When you are using a CPAP, if your mouth always drops open while you sleep, you should wear a strap for your chin. It’s simply fabric that keeps your chin up and mouth closed. Try out CPAP therapy for your mouth.

An excellent method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is simply losing some weight. A lot of people find that if they shed weight they will help the apnea. Just losing a little bit of weight can go a long way in improving the symptoms of sleep apnea and opening up breathing passage ways.

Sleep Apnea

Only sleep with a single pillow of standard size. Your head position can be altered from the optimal sleeping position when you use oversized or multiple pillows. This actually causes you to have more breathing difficulty based on your position. This means that one pillow is most appropriate to help alleviate your sleeping concerns.

If your sleep apnea requires the use of a CPAP machine, make certain that a medical ID is always with you. The reason for this is because if you must be taken to the hospital, the staff assisting you needs to understand that you’re using the CPAP machine for your sleep apnea. The ID should say that you have this condition, you require a CPAP, and it should identify the pressure levels you require for effective treatment.

Think about using nasal spray if your nasal passages are stopped up. You can experience a few nights of untroubled sleep using such a product. Do not use nasal spray over long periods of time: this could damage your nose and cause irritation. Talk to a pharmacist to see which spray they recommend.

Get treatment for your allergies or sinus problems if you have sleep apnea. Having sleep apnea means you already struggle to breathe during the night. You do not need anything else reducing your ability to get air while you sleep. You will sleep better and have a more open airway if you treat nasal problems.

Exercising your tongue can help with your sleep apnea. For example, try this: press your tongue up against your upper palate, and hold it for about three minutes. This strengthens the muscles throughout the airway passage and minimizes the likelihood of them interfering with breathing and sleep.

If you are not experiencing success at overcoming your sleep apnea, you may want to take more serious measures. The removal of loose tissue at the back of the throat is one surgical technique that is a last resort treatment for severe sleep apnea that can’t be controlled with other less invasive treatments.

People that have sleep apnea can benefit from learning to play a wind instrument. In studies, wind instruments have proven beneficial to reducing the symptoms associated with sleep apnea. This new method will help you control your airways.

One sure-fire way to combat the problems posed by sleep apnea is proper weight management. Some people are able to almost completely eliminate their sleep apnea with weight loss. Even a nominal amount of weight loss will go a long way in improving your breathing at night.

Take action and find a treatment for your sleep apnea. You may find that your symptoms will only get worse if you avoid developing a plan with the advice of your doctor. Don’t allow your lack of sleep and snoring problems to become unbearable. Consult your physician immediately if you experience symptoms associated with sleep apnea.

Stick with a single ordinary pillow when you go to sleep. Using more than one pillow, or one that is too large, can make you sleep in an odd position. Sleeping in this way may prevent easy breathing. So, you should stick to one pillow to help lessen any sleep apnea symptoms.

IF you have sleep apnea you can do exercises with your throat that may help. When you strengthen the muscles around the airway, you are helping make them much less likely to collapse. One exercise is to simply push your tongue up against the top of your mouth for a few minutes to strengthen throat muscles. Doing this at least one time every day can help you.

Consulting a doctor is important, but there are several options you can try at home. Stopping the habits of drinking and smoking can help. Anyone who is overweight may find that they benefit quite well from losing 20 pounds or more. It’s also a good idea to refrain from eating heavy meals and drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages close to bed-time.

Sleep apnea is really a problem with your throat, not your nose, this is why you should try and increase strength in your throat muscles. Many exercises exist just for this purpose.

Excessive use of alcohol or illicit drugs can also cause increased problems for those who have sleep apnea. When drinking alcohol it causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which results in snoring and blocked airways. It’s best to put down the bottle entirely, but if you don’t want to do that, you should drink only minimal amounts, and do so early in the day. You will make sure that your sleep is not affected by the alcohol.

Chronic fatigue can complicate sleep apnea symptoms and make the disorder even worse. Set up a sleep schedule to address this issue. Try to stick to the same bedtime and wake time every day of the week. This will prevent the sleep apnea from escalating to anything worse like total insomnia.

Once you learn you have sleep apnea, you should find treatment as soon as possible. Without the proper amount of sleep, your health will suffer and you will be tired more often. Take what you learned here to give yourself the chance at having a healthier life and a good night of sleep each day.

Sleep apnea is caused by inadequate oxygen during sleep. This is why it can get worse at higher elevations. As oxygen levels decrease at higher elevations, this would seem to affect the sufferer of sleep apnea. Avoid sleeping in higher elevations.